ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 22/WG 9 N483

Convener's Report, 2007, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 22/WG 9 (Ada)

Prepared by: Joyce L Tokar, PhD, tokar@pyrrhusoft.com , 31 July 2007.

BUSINESS PLAN FOR JTC 1/SC 22/WG 9 (Ada)

PERIOD COVERED:

1 July 2006-1 July 2007

SUBMITTED BY:

Acting Convener of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC22/WG9
Joyce L Tokar, PhD
Pyrrhus Software

PO Box 1352

Phoenix, AZ 85001-1352

1. MANAGEMENT SUMMARY

1.1 JTC 1/SC 22/WG 9 Statement of Scope

Coordination of ISO standards for Programming Language Ada

1.2 Project Report

1.2.1 Completed Projects

22.10.01 -- IS 8652:1995 Programming Languages: Ada and
ISO/IEC 8652:1995/Cor.1:2001 Technical Corrigendum

The Standard was published in 1995 and a Technical Corrigendum was published in 2001. WG9 has determined that the best strategy for updating the standard is to develop an Amendment. SC22 approved the project subdivision in N3310.

22.10.01.01 -- IS 8652:1995 Programming Languages: Ada and
ISO/IEC 8652:1995/Amendments to ISO/IEC 8652:1995

Subdivision of project 1.22.10.01 approved per JTC 1 N6567. N 4051- FPDAM ballot passed. Published, January 2007

22.10.04 -- IS 13813:1998 Generic packages of real and complex type declarations and basic operations for Ada (including vector and matrix types)

WG9 recommends the withdrawal of this standard.

22.15291-- IS 15291:1999 Ada Semantic Interface Specification (ASIS)

WG9 voted in June 2003 to confirm this standard upon its reaching the five-year review point. SC22 endorsed the request in its 2003 plenary meeting. The Status shown on the ISO web site is 90.93 (confirmed).

22.15942 -- TR 15942:2000 Guidance for the use of the Ada Programming Language in High Integrity Systems

WG9 has requested that this Type 3 Technical Report be made freely available on an appropriate web site. The request was approved by SC 22 and JTC 1 and was implemented.

22.18009 -- IS 18009:1999, Ada Conformity Assessment

WG9 voted in June 2003 to confirm this standard upon its reaching the five-year review point. SC22 endorsed the request in its 2003 plenary meeting. The status is shown on the ISO web site as 90.93 (confirmed).

22.24718 -- TR 24718:2005, Guide for the Use of the Ada Ravenscar Profile in High Integrity Systems

A Type 3 Technical Report, ISO/IEC TR 24718, Guide for the use of the Ada Ravenscar Profile in high integrity systems, was completed during 2005. The status shown on the ISO web site is 60.60 (published). Although the normal process was used to approve the report, the document is an adoption of a report developed by the University of York, UK. Both the University of York and the UK National Body have agreed to cooperate with JTC1 if any revisions are made to the report.

On March 7, 2005, JTC 1 recommended that the Technical Report should be made freely available. This request was approved by SC 22 and JTC 1 and was implemented.

1.2.2 Projects Underway

Maintenance of ISO/IEC 14519:2001, Ada Binding to POSIX

Revision of the ASIS standard, ISO/IEC 15291

1.3.3 Projects Withdrawn

None

1.3.4 Standards and Technical Reports Withdrawn

22.10.02 -- IS 11430:1994 Generic Package of Elementary Functions for Ada

22.10.03 -- IS 11729:1994 Generic Package of Primitive Functions for Ada

22.10.05 -- IS 13814:1998 Generic package of complex elementary functions for Ada

22.31 -- IS 12227:1995 SQL/Ada Module Description Language (SAMeDL)

22.35 -- (Type 2) TR 11735:1996 EXTensions for Real-time Ada

1.4 Cooperation and Competition

There are two major professional societies in this area: Ada-Europe and the Special Interest Group on Ada (SIGAda) of the Association for Computing Machinery. The semi-annual meetings of WG9 are scheduled to coincide with the major conferences organized by these two groups. Officials of both organizations are active participants in the work of WG9. Both groups have the status of Category C liaison with WG9.

There is one major vendor consortium, the Ada Resource Association (ARA). Informal liaison with ARA is maintained via the US TAG.

As requested by SC22, WG9 has designated a liaison to SC22/OWGV, Erhard Ploedereder of Germany, and has invited OWGV to collocate meetings with WG9.

2. PERIOD REVIEW

2.1 Market Requirements

Although support for Ada has declined in the US defense sector, Ada remains the language of choice for major parts of the real-time, embedded systems community. Ada usage in other sectors of the marketplace seems to be stable. The locus of Ada usage is perceptibly shifting from North America to Europe. There is demand for minor improvements while retaining the stability of the existing language. This motivated WG9 to update the language standard by means of an Amendment rather than a Revision.

2.2 Achievements

Amendment to the 1995 Ada language standard was published
N479 minutes from the Birds-of-a-Feather session on POSIX-Ada Binding
Work on revision of ISO/IEC 15291, ASIS

2.3 Resources

National body participation in WG9 has grown and is now stable. There has been long-time participation from Belgium, Canada, and France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, UK, and US.

Implementation of the Category C Liaisons with Ada-Europe and SIGAda has broadened the base of technical review and support for language standardization.

All new work item suggestions are screened by the requirement for active support from five national bodies. This has worked well, resulting in explicit commitments from national bodies supporting a possible project.

WG9 uses Rapporteur Groups to perform the drafting of its technical documents. This allows WG9 itself to meet only twice per year--for approximately one-half-day at each meeting. When appropriate, WG9 delegates initial drafting to national bodies working with Rapporteur Groups. (For example, the US contributed the draft of the planned amendment to ISO/IEC 8652.)

2.4 Environmental Issues

(Not applicable)

2.5 Participation Metrics

Nine national bodies regularly participate in the work of WG9; eight of them regularly attend meetings. Each of the nine NBs typically votes at the WG9 level. Those that are P-members of SC22 typically vote at that level.

3. FOCUS NEXT WORK PERIOD

3.1 Deliverables

The following deliverables are anticipated during the next 12 months:

A New Work Item Proposal for a Type 2 Technical Report for an improved "container" library, which will provide a "trial use" specification to users and implementers, and that will be suitable for future standardization.

3.2 Strategies

Routine, but efficient, processing will suffice to achieve our goals. We delegate technical work to the Rapporteur Groups. We collaborate with professional societies via liaison relationships. We achieve full consensus within Rapporteur Groups prior to initiating formal balloting.

3.2.1 Risks

Unexpected technical comment at the SC22 level has the potential to delay the work of WG9. WG9 mitigates this risk by providing mechanisms for full treatment of NB technical concerns at the RG and WG level. Although we observe all requirements of the directives, we view SC22 and JTC1 level balloting as approval of documents that have already been completed.

3.2.2 Opportunities

National body participation in WG9 has recently grown and is now stable.

3.3 Work Program Priorities

Now that 8652 Amendment 1 has been published, the emphasis of WG9 has shifted toward the revision of ISO/IEC 15291. Our priorities are as follows:

(1, highest) develop a revision of ISO/IEC 15291, ASIS;
(2) respond to Defect Reports and/or Ada Issues on ISO/IEC 8652;
(3) develop Technical Reports or Standards improving the Ada libraries--notably with respect to containers;
(4) consider proposals for extending the language;
(5) maintenance of ISO/IEC 14519:2001, Ada Binding to POSIX

4. REQUESTED SC22 PLENARY ACTIONS RELATED TO WG9

4.1 Appointment of Convener

The term of the current convener ends with the plenary meeting. SC22 is requested to take action to appoint the new convener.

4.2 Withdrawal of ISO/IEC 13813

WG9 has recommended the withdrawal of ISO/IEC 13813. WG9 requests that the SC22 Secretariat take whatever steps are necessary to effect the implementation of the request to withdraw the standard.

5. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

5.1 WG9 Liaisons

WG9 has two Category C liaison relationships.

5.1.1 Category C Liaison with ACM SIGAda

[Quoted from WG9 N407, 6 June 2002, Request for Establishment of Category C Liaison between ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 22/WG 9 and the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Ada (SIGAda)]

SIGAda is a Special Interest Group of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). Its 80,000 members make ACM one of the world's premier technical professional organizations related to computing.

With over 560 paid members and access to an additional 900 members of the Ada community, SIGAda is one of the world's largest organizations serving the needs of professionals interested in the Ada language. SIGAda is a powerful resource for the software community's ongoing technical and scientific activities concerning the usage, education, standardization, and implementations of the Ada language and related Ada technologies. Its annual international conference is a major event, not only for Ada specialists, but also for all enthusiasts in modern software topics such as software engineering, process improvement, CASE, object-oriented methods, and software education. It publishes a quarterly journal providing news and technical articles important to the Ada community.

In the past, SIGAda members have played an important, but individual, role in the standardization work of SC22/WG9. For example, ISO/IEC 15291 is largely based upon technical material originally developed by individuals acting under the auspices of SIGAda. SIGAda has also played an important role for Ada language improvements in the areas of performance, real-time, numerics, and distribution.

5.1.2 Category C Liaison with Ada-Europe

[Quoted from WG9 N402, 23 May 2002, Request for Establishment of Category C Liaison between ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 22/WG 9 and Ada-Europe]

Ada-Europe is an international organization, set up to promote the use of Ada. It aims to spread the use and the knowledge of Ada and to promote its introduction into academic and research establishments. Above all, Ada-Europe intends to represent European interests in Ada and Ada-related matters.

In its current form, Ada-Europe was established in 1988. As there is no European legal framework to govern such organizations, it was established according to Belgian Law. Currently, the member organizations are: Ada-Belgium, Ada-Denmark, Ada-Deutschland, Ada-France, Ada-Spain, Ada in Sweden, Ada in Switzerland and Ada UK. Individual members of these organizations can become indirect members of Ada-Europe. Direct membership is available to individuals in countries without national member organization. At the moment, Ada-Europe has about 350 indirect members.

The best-known of Ada-Europe's activities is its annual conference, now in its 22nd year, which provides the European forum for researchers and users of Ada and other technologies geared towards reliable systems. Ada-Europe publishes the Ada User Journal to keep its members and others abreast of the latest developments related to Ada.

In the past, Ada-Europe members have played an important, but individual, role in the standardization work of SC22/WG9. For example, ISO/IEC 18009 incorporates technical material provided by Ada-Europe members.

5.2 Meetings of WG9

5.2.1 Future Meetings

Meeting #53 in conjunction with the 2007 SIGAda conference, Thursday afternoon, 8 November 2007, Fairfax, VA, USA
Meeting #54 in conjunction with the 2008 Ada-Europe conference, Friday morning, 20 June 2008, Venice, Italy

5.2.2 Recent Meetings

Meeting #47 in conjunction with the 2004 SIGAda conference, 14:00, Thursday, 18 November 2004, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Meeting #48 in conjunction with the 2005 Ada-Europe conference, Friday, 24 June 2005, York, UK.
Meeting #49 in conjunction with the 2005 SIGAda conference, on the afternoon of Thursday, 17 November 2005, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Meeting #50 in conjunction with the 2006 Ada-Europe conference, on the morning of Friday, 9 June 2006, Porto, Portugal
Meeting #51 in conjunction with the 2006 SIGAda conference, Thursday afternoon, 16 November 2006, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Meeting #52 in conjunction with the 2007 Ada-Europe conference, Friday morning, 29 June 2007, Geneva, Switzerland